Service Dogs Alabama

We found this organization because my sister needed a seizure alert dog. Service Dogs of Alabama not only works with volunteers to lower the cost of a service dog, but it also works with the individual families and recipients to help them understand how their life will change with a service animal. Speaking about service dogs alone, I am so grateful that my sister has the autonomy, confidence, and overall sense of safety that comes along with her dog. Beyond that, the organization itself is truly a gift to all who come into contact with it. For my sister, the trainers have been nothing but supportive and only a call or text away when she has a question or concern. For myself, I am currently socializing a service dog as a volunteer, and it has helped me to understand what it is like to have a service dog in addition to giving me the opportunity to help educate others about them. I would suggest volunteering here to anyone looking for a place to donate time or resources, because it is such a great cause. Service animals save lives every day, and Service Dog of Alabama makes this a possibility for families and individuals who would not usually be able to afford it.

I can attest Service Dogs of Alabama has changed the lives of many for the better. My son Matt was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 4. After reading an internet article on Diabetic Alert Dogs (DAD’s) my wife and I was motivated to find more about how a DAD could improve the quality of life for Matt and our family. We found many stories of success and quite a few horror stories as well. In our search, we ran across the name of a dog trainer in our area, Frances. I called Frances and told her our story. I told her of our fear of Matt going to sleep and not recognizing a low then going into a seizure. I told her of how we feared Matt coming up on driving age and getting in the car after practicing sports and not realizing a low blood sugar and having a seizure while driving. We had these fears because Matt had seizures due to failure to recognize the signs and symptoms of low blood sugars. I was hoping Frances could point me in some direction but she did much more than that. After hearing our story, she told me she worked with a service dog organization but their organization had never trained a DAD but if we were willing to work with her she would do her best to help. We did and so did she. Frances and Ashley worked to develop was has become a very successful Diabetic Alert Dog Training program at Service Dogs of Alabama. We are very thankful for all this organization has done for all they work with.

Great organization! Currently our family has "Nikki" which has been great for us! Initially she was placed with our, then 11 y/o son, for autism intervention. Ashley remained in contact with us for updates on his and Nikki's bonding process. Unfortunately, the lack of a bond meant Nikki was not the correct match. The organization took Nikki back to give additional training based on our conversations, and recommendations. Next, Nikki returned to our family because she had built a decent bond with our daughter during her initial placement. Nikki is doing very well with our 14 y/o daughter, and has helped her in many ways. Her training has been helpful with nightmares, anxiety in the transition to high school, and interaction in general. Throughout the process, Service Dogs of Alabama responded to our concerns, provided training suggestions, conducted follow-up training, and is working to find a match for our son. After a few years of searching, Service Dogs of Alabama was not only the best costing organization, but provided a well trained service dog, assistance when we had issues with public places that hassled us about the service dog being in the facilities. I cannot thank Ashley and Francis enough for what they have done for our family! Sincerely, David B.

My son has type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed 6 years ago. A true blessing came to us a little over a year ago. That was Service Dogs of Alabama. The entire process has been and remains to be amazing. This organization changes lives. They start with an amazing and very thorough training process and continue with placement of these services dogs in their forever homes. They continue the relationship with the families after the placement is made. They are always available to answer any questions and continue helping in any way they can. My son's dog, Pierce, has brought a peace of mind to our family that we never thought we would have again. Pierce means everything to us. He is my son's life line. He alerts when his blood sugars are out of range so that he can correct the issue and avoid potential problems. The founders, Frances and Ashley, are completely committed to helping people find have a better quality of life when life has dealt them struggles. Pierce is our family. Service Dogs of Alabama became our family too!!!

Ashley and Francis are true professionals that dramatically changed the quality of life for my son, they will do everything they can to help you. We thought we would never be able to raise the money, but with some effort, and prayers we made it happen! The service dog has been a true blessing, and he is so well trained that all we receive is compliments when the dog is out in public. I would HIGHLY recommend Service Dogs Alabama to everyone! They are doing such amazing work and are two of the nicest, most dedicated people you will ever meet!